The Mayor of the County of Cork Cllr. Declan Hurley has welcomed the investment of €1,347,826.77 announced for 15 towns across the county under the 2017 Town and Village Renewal Scheme, from the Department of Rural and Community Development.

The announcement was made by the Minister for Rural and Community Development, Michael Ring TD. In total 281 rural towns and villages across the country will benefit from the scheme which places a particular emphasis on stimulating economic development.

In Cork County the projects range from developing heritage trails, cycleways, new pontoon facilities, to renovation of existing facilities and enhancement of car parks and streetscapes. The 15 towns that will benefit are Bandon, Bantry, Buttevant, Castletownbere, Clonakilty, Drinagh, Fermoy, Glengariff, Kinsale, Macroom, Millstreet, Passage West, Schull, Skibbereen and Youghal.

The 2017 Town and Village Renewal Scheme, which was launched in April, will give funding to projects that will help develop rural towns and villages. The projects chosen will support economic development in the individual towns and surrounding areas. The schemes will enhance existing facilities and develop new initiatives to encourage economic growth and boost visitors to each area.

Speaking today, Mayor of the County of Cork Cllr. Declan Hurley said “this scheme will give a great boost to local economies, will encourage rural development and will improve and strengthen existing rural projects. I am delighted to see such a wide range of projects in Cork County benefiting from this initiative.”

Cork County Mayor Cllr Declan Hurley

Mayor Hurley added “these projects were identified by local community groups in conjunction with Cork County Council and it is great to see how well the communities and the local authority are working together to develop the county. Each of these schemes will help to make their respective communities a more attractive place to live and work in.”

The scheme will primarily benefit towns and villages with populations of less than 5,000 people. In June of this year the Municipal District Operations and Rural Development Directorate of Cork County Council submitted 15 renewal project proposals for towns and villages across County Cork to the Department of Rural and Community Development, for funding under its Town and Village Renewal Scheme. The 15 projects were submitted on foot of a call for expressions of interest, for which 57 applications were received.

Facts & Figures

All 15 projects for Towns and Villages across County Cork, that were submitted by Cork County Council to the Department, have been awarded funding totalling over €1.3 million.

The Department’s scheme is part of the Government’s Action Plan for Rural Development.

The funding awarded to Cork towns and villages, ranges from €32,000 to €152,000.